Anglican Diocese of Saskatchewan – A Strong History of Serving Northern Saskatchewan
- The Diocese of Saskatchewan was created in 1873 by an act of the Synod of the Diocese of Rupert's Land. Approval for this action had been granted by the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1872. The first bishop of the new diocese, John McLean, was consecrated in 1874 and took up residence in Prince Albert in 1875.
Originally the Diocese of Saskatchewan included most of the south and north-central areas of the present-day civil provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, and a small portion of northern Manitoba. In 1884 the Diocese of Assiniboine (later Qu'Appelle) was created in the south-east.
At the same time the Diocese acquired more territory of what is now northern Saskatchewan and Alberta, and a larger portion of Manitoba, including present day The Pas and the Devon Mission areas. In 1888 the Diocese of Calgary was created from its south western flank, with the Diocese of Edmonton being created sometime thereafter. Saskatchewan gave up the last of its Alberta and Manitoba territory in 1927 and 1933 respectively. In 1933 the Diocese split again into a northern part, the Diocese of Saskatchewan based in Prince Albert, and a southern part, the Diocese of Saskatoon. The last division was painful and highly controversial at the time. A compromise was reached by which the southern diocese around the new see of Saskatoon was granted the Charter to assure its link with the early history, and some of the historic endowments and debts; the northern diocese would return to its roots as a primarily aboriginal missionary organization and would retain the name, some of the endowments, Bishop McLean's seal, archives and the episcopal properties. It was granted a new Charter to replace the ceded one in 1933 and a new episcopal endowment from an anonymous donor in England. All the subsequent bishops of both dioceses would claim succession to Bishop McLean.
1874-1886 John McLean
1887-1903 William Cyprian Pinkham
1903-1921 Jervois Arthur Newnham
1922-1931 George Exton Lloyd
1931-1932 William Thomas Thompson Hallam
1933-1939 Walter Burd
1939-1959 Henry David Martin
1960-1970 William Henry Howes Crump
1970-1985 Hedley Vicars Roycroft Short
1985-1993 Thomas Oliver Morgan
1993- Anthony John Burton
Present – Bishop Michael W. Hawkins